Products for Refluxers

I want to tell you about some products that might be worth checking out for your baby or child with reflux. I am always on the lookout for new products to help parents deal with the day to day symptoms and home care.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Adele Camens, founder and creator of the Medslant Wedge/Pillow. An adult with GERD, she set out to make a wedge that was comfortable and kept her body at the proper angle for sleeping. Luckily, her neighbor is a pillow manufacturer and he helped her design a wedge that was comfortable and functional. Best of all, the Medslant can be folded and stored in a case for travel. It even fits in the overhead bin of an airplane for easy travel and reflux free sleep while on the road. The one size fits all design means it will be useful for any age from baby to adult.
You can check out this product and read Adele’s story at www.medslant.com or call 800-346-1850. Ironically, Adele noted that she receives many on line orders in the middle of the night!

There were several companies selling Probiotics at the recent Digestive Disease Week Conference. The one product that really caught my eye was the BioGaia Probiotics. There is some evidence that probiotics, the “good” bacteria or microorganisms in your gut have many health benefits including improved digestion. With BioGaia, there is no excuse for not taking your probiotics, even for a fussy baby or a picky eater. BioGaia offers a pleasant tasting, chewable tablet as well as drops that can be placed in the bottle or in food. I was most impressed with the BioGaia Probiotic Straw. A small straw (that looks the same as a juice straw attached to a juice pouch) contains 100 million Lactobacillus reuteri (a one day dose). Simply insert the straw in a cold or room temperature drink and sip. Just don’t bother to tell the kids-it can be your little secret.

The Adiri Breastbottle nurser is a bottle made of soft material that mimics the breast. The bottle has a special air flow system to minimize air intake. It is designed to minimize nipple confusion for babies who are both breast and bottle fed. This would be a great product for a breastfeeding mom to use for occasional supplementing or while the baby is in daycare. The Adiri website is www.adiri.com.

Whenever I attend a conference, I take the opportunity to talk to the inventors and manufacturers of the products we use every day for our kids with reflux. I always pump them with questions and learn so much about the products. In turn, the inventors and manufacturers are eager to learn the point of view of the consumers. If you are using a product and want to provide feedback, either negative or positive, just log onto the product website and look for a link to “comments” or “contact us”. The companies really do value your feedback and need to know your needs as a consumer of these products.